


Choice

by bigblueboxat221b



Category: Come From Away - Sankoff & Hein
Genre: Do not post to another site, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Harassment, In Gander, Intimidation, Kind Strangers, Musicals, Protective Nick Marson, Screech In (Come From Away), Threats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 04:04:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20960177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigblueboxat221b/pseuds/bigblueboxat221b
Summary: The unwanted attentions of someone that just won't take a hint mean Diane is looking for comfort and support. Nick is more than happy to help - as are the Gander locals.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy folks, lovely to have you here for another Come From Away AU!  
Initially, this was about 'an annoying guy', but as the story progressed, he became more insistent than the tag 'annoying' really warranted. As a result, this one's ended up a little darker than I intended, though on the broader spectrum it's quite tame and the tagged parts are short lived and mild of language. Just take care of yourself, m'kay?  
<3
> 
> Disclaimer: This is not RPF  
While Nick and Diane in the musical are based on real people, this story is set strictly in the fictional representation of them in the musical, ‘Come From Away’. I haven’t done any research into their personal lives, and anything further than what is canon in the musical is completely made up, with the exception of some geographical details. This is not intended to represent the real life couple in any way, their thoughts, attitudes or actions. It’s just my brain saying, ‘what if?’, as it does to every story that resonates with me.

It was a relief to finally make it off the plane of course, but later Diane was to reflect that sitting on the plane was the calmest part of her experience in Gander.

“Good to get out o’ there, hey?” A rough British voice said as they waited for the bus.

Diane looked at the man who’d sidled up beside her. He was smiling, seemingly at ease with their situation, eyes drifting over her body as though he didn’t realise she could see him. It made her skin crawl and she suppressed a shudder.

She smiled politely but didn’t answer him. Her head was pounding and she was worried about David - the last thing she needed was to make small talk with someone like this. Instinctively she shifted away, letting her eyes drift across the tarmac.

“Thought we might be there forever,” the man said again, taking a step to close the gap she’d opened between them. “I’m Andy. A London boy, born an’ bred.”

Diane offered another smile as polite as the previous but again said nothing.

Just as she thought he might try to engage her in conversation yet again, someone came along, counting by touching people on the shoulder. When he’d touched Andy, he stopped, raising his voice.

“Everyone with a number you’re on bus two!” He indicated the direction, guiding Andy in that direction with pressure on his shoulder blade.

Diane didn’t meet Andy’s eyes but relief flowed through her as he moved away with the group headed for bus two. At least there would be a little distance between them, and with so many people it would be unlikely they’d run into each other again.

By the time Diane’s bus left, bus two was long gone - she’d watched and made sure it was gone before she could relax. Nick appeared and sat beside her, and once again their awkward little conversation actually helped ease the tension she felt. He asked after David, offering to help her find a phone when she said she hadn’t been able to contact him. Not obnoxious at all, she thought, then felt bad for comparing him to the boorish man at the airport.

+++

It was late when they finally arrived at the shelter, and Diane was glad when Nick suggested they find somewhere to sleep near each other. She immediately took a cot next to another woman, leaving a space on her far side for Nick. It wasn’t until later she understood why – she’d been ensuring there was nowhere that awful man could lie beside her.

“Are you alright?” Nick asked.

Diane realised she’d been looking around anxiously. She glanced at Nick, not sure how to express her discomfort, even after seeing no sign of Andy since they’d arrived. He might not even be at this shelter, she told herself.

“I’d love to find a phone,” she told him. It was true, of course.

“Let’s see what we can find,” Nick replied, standing up immediately.

He stayed with her as she joined the line but gave her space to make her call in private. When she heard that David was safe - his plane had been returned to London, where he was as stranded as she - Diane felt herself slump forward, one shaking hand pressed to her face.

When a hand landed on her shoulder, she pressed her free hand to it, certain it was Nick.

“Don’t cry, I knew I’d find you again,” came a different voice, and Diane started, pulling away as her brain recognised Andy’s voice.

“Excuse me,” she said, standing up and making to walk away from him.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” he said, stepping in her way so she had no choice but to remain. “I just thought I could make you smile. It’s not all bad, right?” He grinned. “We’re still alive!”

Diane started at him, the insensitivity of his comments rendering her speechless. Finally she managed, “Excuse me,” again, pushing past him and out of the room to the corridor.

When Nick followed her, she stepped close, peering behind him.

“Who was that?” Nick asked.

“Apparently his name is Andy,” Diane said. She suppressed another shudder. “He’s tried to speak to me twice, and just now he wouldn’t let me leave.” She looked at Nick. “I don’t appreciate his sense of humour.”

“Right,” Nick replied, looking confused. “Well, we can avoid him. He should get the message.”

“Perhaps,” Diane said, though she was unconvinced. She’d met men like him before and they didn’t tend to appreciate the more subtle hints, in her experience. Meanwhile, knowing Nick considered himself available to keep her company was extraordinarily comforting. “I would appreciate your company, if you wouldn’t mind.” She winced. “I feel like I’m asking you to escort me around.”

“It’s fine,” Nick said to her. “Maybe if he sees us together,” his face coloured, “he might...”

Diane raised one eyebrow. “Get the wrong idea?”

“Precisely,” Nick murmured.

“That would be fine,” Diane replied. They smiled at each other before Diane blinked tiredly. “I need to sleep.”

“Oh! Of course,” Nick said. “I presume David is well?”

“Yes!” Diane exclaimed. She’d all but forgotten about him. “His flight returned to London. He’s stranded but fine.”

“Like us,” Nick said.

“Like us,” Diane repeated. “My sister said she’d call his father so I don’t have to call him.” She grimaced. “It’s been a long time but it’s still easier not to talk to him.”

Nick looked confused. “I beg your pardon?”

Diane looked at him. “What?”

“Why is it awkward to call your father-in-law?” Nick asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“My...father-in-law?” Diane repeated in confusion. “Oh! No, David is my son. His father is my ex-husband.” She grimaced again. “It was a long time ago but he’s still not easy to deal with.”

Nick was obviously thinking. “So David’s your son. And you’re...not married?”

“No,” Diane said. “Not for a long time now.”

“Right,” Nick said. “Well, should we try and get some sleep then?”

“Yes,” Diane replied. “Sleep would be good.”

They brushed teeth and settled in as best they could in the strange place with so many strangers sleeping around them. Having Nick close made it less difficult.

“I’m pleased David is safe,” Nick said quietly into the semi darkness.

“Thank you,” Diane replied. He really was very kind, she thought drowsily.

+++

The next morning at breakfast, Diane had just sat down when she realised she needed a spoon.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” she said to Nick, who smiled in return. Less fifty feet across the room, and she’d just turned to return when something stopped her.

“G’ morning!” an overly cheery voice greeted her, and she knew who it was immediately, ice twisting in her gut at his voice. “I didn’t catch your name yesterday.”

Andy looked at her expectantly.

“I didn’t offer it,” she replied, determined not to give him any reason to think she was interested.

“Well that’s not so friendly, is it?” he said, leering slightly as he spoke.

“It might not be,” she told him, “but I’m not here to make friends. Excuse me, my partner is waiting for me.”

Her first few steps she gripped the spoon hard, wondering if he would grab her, wondering if she would react using the spoon as a weapon. Nothing happened, though, and she made it over to Nick without incident.

“Are you alright?” Nick asked. When she didn’t answer, having closed her eyes, he asked, “Diane?”

“It’s Diane, then!” At the sound of Andy’s voice her eyes flew open again. He was standing over their table, eyes locked on her, looking very pleased with himself. “I knew I’d find out.” He grinned at her. “Can’t escape anyone in this place.”

“Can I help you with something?” Nick said, standing up to meet Andy.

A flicker of an eyebrow and a blatant assessment of Nick, and Andy dismissed him as clearly as if he’d been flicked away with a forefinger. “I don’t think so, posh boy.” He waved one had between Diane and Nick, and her heart sank as he smirked, “I don’t think you meant ‘husband’ when you said ‘partner’, did you Diane?”

Nick’s shoulders dropped a little, and neither he nor Diane spoke. Andy didn’t seem to notice, leaning over Diane a little and ignoring Nick entirely. “I do like a woman playing hard to get, darlin’. We’ll see each other around, I’m sure of it.”

He winked at her, turning away from Nick to saunter away.

Diane was shaking, watching Nick watching him, his body language screaming high alert as loud as any klaxon. The second he relaxed slightly, she dropped her face in her hands, choked sobs substituting for breathing. When someone sank into the seat beside her she jumped, a small shriek escaping before she recognised Nick. He froze, arm half lifted around her shoulders, eyes wide as he waited to see what she did.

“Oh,” she whispered before leaning into him, the sobs releasing as she shook, Nick’s arm secure around her, tears soaking his shoulder for what felt like an age. He didn’t try to offer advice or platitudes, he was just there as she needed, waiting until the sobs subsided and she’d taken a moment to breath deep and slow before she said up.

“I am not leaving you alone again,” Nick said quietly, and there was nothing questioning in his tone. He sounded...angry, Diane thought, which was strange, but she didn’t try to analyse it too much.

“Thank you,” she managed. She poked at her cereal. “Somehow I’m not hungry anymore.”

“There must be something we can do about him,” Nick went on. “If he keeps harassing you surely you can...” his voice trailed off.

“Let’s just get out of here,” Diane said. “Go for a walk or something.”

“Great idea,” Nick replied, immediately standing up. “Do you want anything from your bag first?”

“No,” Diane replied. “I just want to get out of here.”

Her heart was pounding until they’d left the school grounds, and she checked behind them every few seconds until they’d turned a corner and the school was no longer visible. Only then did she relax slightly. Taking a deep breath she glanced over at Nick.

“So, tell me about…anything,” she said. “Your work. How did you get interested in engineering?”

He could probably tell what she was doing, but Diane didn’t mind – she was happy to listen to Nick talk about his schooling and the path that had lead him into the role he held today. His voice was calming, and the story interesting enough to hold her attention without really requiring any concentration. She tried to ask some questions, and as she relaxed the conversation flowed more naturally.

They walked most of the day, exploring the town and making tentative plans to visit some of the further lookout points tomorrow, assuming they were still there.

“It’s beautiful around here,” Diane said as they made their way back to the shelter. “I kind of hope we’re still here tomorrow.”

“Me too,” Nick replied. He glanced at the doors of the school, squeezing her hand as they approached. Diane wasn’t sure when they had started it, but neither had dropped the connection and now she was glad of it. After today she felt much closer to Nick, and it was nice to be able to feel him there beside her.

“Are you hungry?” Nick asked.

“Yes,” Diane replied. “It’s later than I thought. Let’s go right in for dinner, shall we?”

Nick smiled, and they followed a trickle of people heading to the cafeteria. The line was eternal, shorter in between meals but always present, with so many people in such a small space. The time passed quickly and soon they had their meals, Diane making a point of ensuring she had everything she could need before they turned to find somewhere to sit.

“Diane,” a voice said, and she was tense before she could even glance across.

Andy stood beside her, completely ignoring Nick again, wearing the same self-satisfied smile he always seemed to be displaying. It really was unsettling, Diane thought.

“Excuse me,” she said, determined not to give him any indication that she was interested in a conversation.

“I saved us a table,” Andy said, waving his hand at one of the small tables they’d set up against a wall. The cafeteria was nowhere near big enough for everyone, and the locals brought in café tables to offer as many seats as possible. The idea of sitting with only Andy for company for an entire meal made Diane’s stomach turn.

“No thank you,” she replied. “Nick and I have already made plans.”

“Surely he can find someone else,” Andy said, stepping in front of her again.

“Probably,” Diane replied, finally answering him, “but we’re happy sitting together. He’s my partner, and we have chosen each other.”

She spoke as firmly as she dared before stepping around him, knowing Nick was right beside her. They found seats – two empty ones in the middle of a long, crowded table, allowing Andy no room to join them. Diane’s hands were shaking again, and without asking Nick enfolded her in his arms as soon as they’d placed their trays on the table. She breathed deeply, not wanting to lose it again, drinking in Nick’s silent support. He really was wonderful, she thought dimly, pulling Nick-scented air into her lungs.

Finally, she sat up, offering him a tight smile. “Thank you,” she murmured, facing her meal. Definitely not as hungry as earlier, but she did need to eat; they’d become a little lost on the way back and it was a while since she’d eaten.

“I wasn’t sure if I should intervene,” Nick said, taking a bite of his macaroni and cheese. “Or if you’d prefer to deal with him on your own.”

“I don’t really know,” Diane replied. She thought about it, her own meal like cardboard as she chewed and swallowed automatically. She liked the idea of dealing with this on her own, but already Andy was showing signs of having that ‘never give up’ attitude that was so difficult to deal with when it came to this kind of thing. He might actually need someone other than Diane to get him to back off. She just didn’t like the idea of making a fuss or dragging Nick into anything.

“A possible solution,” Nick said carefully, “if you want to do something without making a scene, might be to ask to be transferred to another town.”

“Another town?” Diane asked.

“People have been taken to half a dozen towns around here,” Nick replied. “I’m sure someone could take you to the next town if they have the space.”

Diane hesitated a moment before finding her own words with care. “I don’t want to make a fuss. They’re doing so much already for us.”

“True,” Nick replied. “But you might feel less anxious if he’s not around.”

“Only if you came too,” Diane said without thinking. Her face went immediately warm, and she glanced over at him.

“Certainly,” Nick said, a slight smile and his own blush displaying his embarrassment at what they had both just revealed. “If it comes to it, we’ll both go to…wherever they’ll take us.”

Diane nodded. “Okay,” she said. The knowledge that Nick would be prepared to uproot himself again and go with her to wherever it might be made her feel better. Protected, prioritized – things she hadn’t felt from someone in a long time. “So you think that lookout tomorrow?”

“Assuming we’re here,” Nick replied. “Although from what I understand, the US airspace is nowhere near opening again.”

Diane nodded, and the conversation drifted into things they could do the next day. When they’d finished eating, most of the other seats were empty. Diane glanced over, and the words she had been about to say evaporated.

“He’s still there,” she said to Nick, dropping her eyes immediately and turning in towards him. “Look.”

Nick looked towards the table Andy had indicated earlier. Diane had seen him there, the table set for two people but no sign he’d eaten anything. He was sitting watching them, his expression blank, and she suddenly wondered how long he’d sat in the cafeteria before they’d come in for dinner. A shudder ran down her back at the idea of him sitting waiting for her for so long. Was he seriously thinking she might abandon Nick to eat with him?

“It’s too early to go to bed,” she said quietly, knowing Nick would be able to hear her. “How are we going to avoid him all night?”

Nick was silent for a moment then he lowered his head, murmuring in Diane’s ear, “I have an idea for something we could do this evening. It would help us avoid…him,” Diane was glad he didn’t say the name, “and help out the volunteers.”

“Okay,” Diane said immediately. She didn’t even care what it was.

“Great,” Nick said. They stood, bussing their trays, and Nick took Diane’s hand again as soon as possible. She thought it might have been partly to make a point to Andy, but as she was glad of the reassurance she didn’t even care. Nick led them over to the woman who had been steadily unloading the dishwasher and sorting plates since they had arrived for their meal.

“Hello,” Nick said, smiling at her. “We’d like to help, if we may.”

“Oh no, m’love,” the woman said immediately, “you two go and relax.”

“We insist,” Nick replied. “We’d like to do something constructive.” He screwed up his nose in an expression so unlike him that Diane had to suppress a smile.

“Well if you’re sure,” the woman said. “I’m Beulah. This is Annette,” a sunny faced younger woman waved from the other side of the dishwasher. “It’s pretty self-explanatory, just sort the dishes and cutlery, anything still dirty goes back through, send the trays around so Annette can fill ‘em again.”

“Of course,” Nick replied.

“Thank you,” Beulah said. She bustled off, and Diane settled herself sorting cutlery while Nick began stacking plates.

“A good idea?” Nick asked after a few moments.

“Inspired,” Diane replied. “I’m glad to be able to help, too. Everyone’s worked so hard for us.” She shook her head. “Although I’d bet Beulah’s gone off to do another job. She’s been everywhere.”

“I’ve noticed,” Nick replied.

“So where’re you folks from?” Annette asked brightly from the other side of the dishwasher. They gladly entered into a conversation with Annette, who was as bright to speak to as her face had first suggested. Diane was mortified when she assumed they were married, then hastened to mollify Annette when she realised her mistake and turned all shades of red.

“It’s fine,” Diane assured her, Nick nodding along. She glanced at Nick. “We were actually hoping to dissuade someone.”

“Really?” Annette asked with wide eyes.

“He’s not really taking a hint,” Diane told her. “So we kind of hoped he’d think we were together.”

“And did it work?” Annette asked.

“No,” Nick replied. “In fact he saw right through us.”

“Well he is not really looking, is he?” Annette said with a derisive snort. Diane made a strangled little noise and Nick’s mouth dropped open. Annette didn’t seem to realise what she’d said, because she continued, “Anyone can see you two are sweet on one another.”

Diane and Nick froze, their eyes having met before Annette’s last comment. Nick’s face was red, and she couldn’t read anything apart from the shock on his face. Annette continued her chatter, and Diane answered her questions about their day automatically, finally pulling her eyes down to sort teaspoons from soup spoons. The clatter of plates told her Nick had returned to his task too, and eventually the tension eased and Diane relaxed a little more.

They continued at the endless task until Beulah returned to chivvy them away. “You two’ve done enough here,” she said. “You’ll be here all night, you know, there’s always more to do, and always someone to do it. Go and get some sleep.”

“If you insist,” Diane said, when Beulah took the handful of forks and spoons from her with gentle hands.

“Go on, make sure this wife of yours gets her rest,” Beulah said to Nick with a smile.

“They’re not married,” Annette jumped in before either Nick or Diane could speak.

“Goodnight,” Diane said, stepping around the bench to take Nick’s hand and get out of there. She could hear Beulah saying, “Really? Are you sure?” as they left, and she groaned, flashing a look at Nick.

“Well that went well,” Nick said. “At least we fooled some of the people.”

Diane giggled. “Not the people-well, person- we wanted to, though.”

“True,” Nick replied. They’d walked through the school to where they were sleeping, the lights dimmed in the corridors now. More hours must have passed than Diane had realised; most people were either sleeping or doing something quiet, and it felt like the middle of the night.

Without speaking they collected their wetbags and headed for the bathrooms. Diane’s heart pounded the whole time she was in there, never so pleased to see a pair of small children as the little girls brushing their teeth with their mother. She was as quick as she dared be, though waiting in the corridor felt more exposed than being in the bathrooms, and she ended up ducking her head out before slipping back inside, waiting another twenty seconds or so and checking again if Nick was done…it was stressful, and when he was finally waiting she flashed him a relieved smile.

“Thank you,” she said as they weaved back through the cots to their space. “For that.”

“Not a problem,” he told her. They settled onto their cots, facing each other. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I haven’t…I don’t know. All of this, and adding him to it all…” To her horror, Diane felt her eyes prickle and she blinked hard.

“Can I…what can I do?” Nick asked.

Diane almost laughed disbelievingly. “You’ve already…you’re already doing plenty,” she said, the words feeling completely inadequate. “I don’t know how I’d…” she trailed off.

“I won’t leave you alone unless you want me to,” Nick said, his words almost a whisper in the darkness. “And I will do whatever I have to, to keep that boorish pillock away from you.”

The laughter burbled up in her again. He was so sincere, and the insult was so beautifully British that she couldn’t help it. That protective thing really was very attractive, she thought. They didn’t speak again, but Diane felt the anxiety ease and eventually sleep drifted over her.

+++

Despite the hours she didn’t remember, Diane felt jumpy when she woke. Her eyes flew open as though from a bad dream she couldn’t remember. It made her uneasy from the start. Nick’s eyes met hers and she gave a tight smile, relieved he didn’t ask questions beyond, “Coffee?”

She nodded and they readied themselves for the day. She was a little surprised when he headed away from the cafeteria. His hand was warm around hers and she allowed him to lead. The air outside was cool and fresh, heralding the start of a clear day, and Diane drew it into her lungs as they walked.

“Tim Horton’s?” she asked, smiling despite herself. They’d walked past the previous day without stopping, and Diane had commented on how Canadian they were.

“Annette recommended the honey crullers,” Nick said. “And I remembered you saying the best donuts in the world come from Max’s.” He shrugged with a tentative smile. “How do you know unless you’ve tried all the donuts in the world?”

Diane stared at him, her mind whirring. “Well,” she said finally, “I guess I don’t.”

Nick’s tentative expression resolved into relief. “So, breakfast and coffee?”

“Breakfast and coffee,” Diane agreed. They ordered and brought their meals to a table by the window. “Here’s the test,” she said, holding up the cruller dramatically.

“Very well,” Nick replied, grinning at her.

Diane bit into the doughnut, deliberately making a thoughtful face as she chewed and swallowed. “Well,” she said, “not too bad.” She took another bite, nodding thoughtfully. “Of course, I’d have to do a more extensive test,” she said, grinning at him. “A dozen or so.”

“Oh at least,” Nick said. “I’m glad to hear they’re acceptable.”

“They are,” Diane said. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Nick replied. “It’s nice to see you smile.”

Diane felt her smile widen, the flush from the previous evening returning with a vengeance. “Thanks.” His eyes were warm, holding hers across the table.

“G’morning there,” a voice broke in, the heavy Gander accent cheerful.

They turned to see an older man beaming at them. “Good morning,” Nick said.

“I’m Claude Elliott,” the man said, offering his hand to Nick. “The mayor of this here town.”

“Nick Marson,” Nick replied.

“Diane Grey,” Diane added, shaking his proffered hand. “Thank you for having us here.”

“Not a trouble,” Claude replied. “Where’re you folks staying?”

“At the Academy,” Nick said.

“And you have everything you need?” Claude asked.

“Apart from crullers,” Diane said, holding hers up.

“O’course,” Claude said with a smile. “Well, Gander’s pleased to have you. If there’s anything we could do, don’t hesitate to ask, y’hear?”

“Thank you,” Diane said, jumping in before Nick could do more than open his mouth. “That’s very kind of you.”

He farewelled them and walked back to his table.

“You thought I was going to ask him about moving to another town, weren’t you?” Nick asked.

“Maybe,” Diane said a little ashamed at her assumption. “I’m sorry.” She paused. “Were you?”

“I hadn’t decided,” Nick replied. He picked up his coffee, nodding at Diane’s empty plate. “Shall we walk?”

“Yep,” Diane said, picking up her coffee.

The rest of their day was wonderful, Diane thought. There really was no other word for it. They talked easily as they walked, hands finding each other once their coffee cups had been discarded. Several quiet moments stretched out, the comfortable silence adding to the sense of intimacy Diane felt growing between them. By the time they arrived back at the Academy, their conversation had dwindled and Diane wondered if Nick was sensing the atmosphere between them as well. Was he trying to find the words to ask her, as she was him?

Rounding the corner near their classroom, a group of people were talking quietly. They glanced up at Nick and Diane, and one of them broke away, approaching almost apologetically.

“Hi,” he said, “are you…staying in this room?”

“Yes,” Diane said, frowning. “Why?”

“Someone’s cracked,” the young man said bluntly.

Something cold slithered around inside Diane’s stomach. “What?” she whispered. “What happened?”

“Someone got hold of a bottle of ketchup,” he said, “and doused some of the cots and bags.” He winced. “Sorry, I don’t know any more than that.”

Diane felt Nick squeeze her hand, and she swallowed hard. “Thank you,” she said.

They walked towards the door, but someone stopped them. It was one of the men they’d seen delivering crates of water earlier, sitting at a makeshift security table. “Sorry,” he said, “but we’re only letting people in to get their things.”

“Right,” Nick said. “Well, can we? Our bags are in there.”

“Sure,” he said.

Diane knew before they could see their cots that it would be their things vandalised. Sure enough, the whole area was covered in bright red sauce. Knowing and seeing were different, of course, and she stopped for a second, shocked at how thorough someone had been. Their bags and cots were drenched, and someone had made a half-hearted effort at the cots beside them, but it was clear they were the targets.

“Oh my God,” she said. “Look at this.”

“I know,” Nick replied. His own bag was drenched, and he glanced at Diane. “Do you have your documents on you?”

“Of course,” she replied. “Thank goodness.” The small victory made her relax a little. “It’s just makeup, a book, some tissues and things.” She carefully unzipped the bag, opening it to check on the contents. “Some of this might be alright, actually.”

They picked up their bags carefully and returned to speak to the security guard.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, wincing at the state of their belongings. “Nobody was here when this happened.” He looked uncomfortable. “Do you know…has there been anything that might tell you why this happened?”

“No,” Diane said at the same time as Nick replied, “Yes.”

They looked at each other.

“Yes,” Nick said more insistently. Diane sighed as he continued speaking. “There’s been a man hanging around. He hasn’t said anything threatening but he’s…” he glanced at Diane, “creepy.”

“Creepy?” the guard repeated.

“Yes,” Nick said, and Diane was relieved when he didn’t elaborate.

“Well, we can move you to another shelter,” the guard offered.

“No, it’s fine,” Diane said quickly. “We’re just avoiding him. We don’t even know if this is him or not.”

She glanced at Nick, who was pressing his lips together in a clear sign he wanted to say something, but he refrained.

“Well if you want to move, or anything happens let us know,” the guard told her. He gestured to their bags. “And if you need anything replaced or cleaned we can help.”

“Thank you,” Diane said. She was shaken, but the people here were already doing so much, she didn’t want to be a bother. They took their bags into the cafeteria, using the tables to spread out their belongings and see what was affected. Most of Diane’s makeup was salvageable, as was the contents of their wetbags, but Nick’s work papers were ruined.

“At least I don’t have to worry about finishing this,” Nick joked, holding up the pink-stained sheaf of papers. He dropped them into the trash on top of Diane’s book, asking, “Anything else you need to throw out?”

“No,” Diane replied. “I’ll run these brushes under some water and they’ll be fine.” Everything else was wiped clean enough to get by.

Annette brought them plastic bags for their belongings, picking up their ketchup-covered bags for cleaning. “Where are you going to stay?” she asked, face serious. “You can’t sleep in those cots, they’re still covered in ketchup.”

Nick half-turned to Diane as he said, “Well, we figured there might be a couple of spare beds in one of the other classrooms?”

Diane nodded.

“Well,” Annette said, “I suppose there might be…” she looked up, face brightening. “You know, my sister and her family are in Toronto, you could always stay at her place!”

Diane blinked. “Seriously?” Before Annette could reply, Diane went on, “No, no, I mean, we couldn’t. Thank you, really.”

“Are you sure?” Annette asked. “She wouldn’t mind, and you’d be more comfortable.”

“We’ll go and have a look now,” Nick said. “There must be a couple of spare cots somewhere.”

“Well, come and find me if you change your mind,” Annette said. “I’ll see what I can do about getting these bags clean.”

They nodded before heading back out to the corridor. Diane paused before the first classroom, the reality of what they were about to do settling on her. “Hang on,” she said, grabbing Nick’s arm. She looked up at him.

“I know,” he said, wincing. “Other than taking up Annette or the guard, though, what else can we do?”

She looked at him helplessly. None of the options were good, but she’d rather be uncomfortable herself than put out any of the locals.

“Okay,” she whispered, tightening her fingers on his and taking a deep breath.

They walked into each classroom, looking for a pair of spare cots beside each other, but every room was full, or had a only single cot on its own. Diane held her breath almost the whole time, knowing with each room they didn’t run into Andy, the chances increased in the next one. By the time they’d reached the last room, she was concentrating so hard on her breathing she barely saw the cots.

“There’s space there,” Nick’s voice said, and she pulled herself back. They were in the corner of the last room, her hand still enfolded with Nick’s. He was in a quiet conversation with a large man, gesturing to a single empty cot next to a wall. The other man nodded and walked out of the room, and Nick turned to Diane.

“Is this alright?” he asked.

Diane blinked. “I’m not exactly sure,” she admitted.

“Andreas is going to find another spare cot,” Nick explained. “We can put it there,” he indicated the space beside it, “and his family can budge up.” He added, “I told him a little about what we’re doing and he’ll keep an eye out.”

“Okay,” she said. “Thank you.” She blinked again, not exactly sure how to react. “I seem to be saying that a lot lately, don’t I?”

Nick smiled. “I’m glad I can help.”

Diane returned his smile, but it faded as she wondered aloud, “We didn’t see him. He must be somewhere.”

“Yes,” Nick agreed, as Andreas returned with another cot, “but so am I, and so’s Andreas.”

“Hello,” Andreas said, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Don’t worry, we will help.” His accent made the words difficult to understand, but the kindness in his voice was unmistakable.

“Thank you,” Diane murmured.

“We might just have something to eat,” Nick said to him, looking down at Diane for confirmation.

“Yes,” Diane replied. She wasn’t hungry, but it was something to do, and if Nick was going, she was certainly going with him.

“Just a moment,” Diane murmured, stopping him as they passed the girls’ bathrooms. He took her plastic bag, and she used the facilities and was still moving on autopilot when a familiar voice pulled her sharply back into the present.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Andy’s voice was smug, and Diane met his eyes in the mirror, freezing as he sauntered closer.

“Excuse-“ she started, but he cut her off before she could either move or finish speaking.

“No,” he said, stepping closer. A thread of fear wound down her spine at the hard determination in his eyes. “All I wanted was a bit o’ conversation. Then I tried to be nice. Cracked a joke an’ everything. Tried to get to know you, arranged dinner-“

“You didn’t arrange dinner,” Diane burst, fear driving her voice louder than she’d planned. “We’re in a shelter in Canada, for God’s sake!”

“Options are limited, darlin’,” he replied, unruffled by her outburst. “Needs must. I’m making an effort, that’s all I’m saying. And you wouldn’t even tell me your name. Barely giving me the time o’ day.”

“I have been nothing but polite,” Diane said, trying not to let her shaking show, “and as I have told you, I am not here to make friends.”

“Seems like you and that posh boy are pretty friendly,” Andy retorted, his cheerful facade slipping for the first time. The emphasis he placed on ‘friendly’ made it clear he thought there was more to it, and Diane flushed at the implication.

“My relationship with Nick is none of your business,” she said.

“Well, Mister Posh won’t be there to keep you company tonight,” Andy said. “Not with your cots trashed like that. Terrible business.”

“Yes,” Diane replied, “but we’ve found somewhere together. Now,” she said with as much strength as she could muster, “Nick is waiting for me.”

She tried to move past him, but he grabbed her arm, leaning close to say, “I’ll see you later, posh boy close by or not. We’ll get t’ know each other properly then.” He paused for a second, tightening his grip before releasing her.

Without a backwards glance, Diane bolted, racing out of the bathrooms with only one thought on a frantic loop through her brain.

_Nick. Nick. Nick._

“Diane?” she heard as she stumbled out of the door.

“Nick,” she gasped, collapsing against him. His arms came around her and she could hardly breathe, sobs interfering with her breathing, the air burning as she struggled to draw it into her lungs. She was shaking so hard she could hardly think; Nick’s arms were solid around her, and her fingers were clutching something, but beyond that her mind was empty.

He said something, the vibrations humming against her cheek. His weight shifted and she thought he might be trying to move, but nothing happened. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing again. It took a long time, probably; by the time the shaking stopped her eyes were heavy with fatigue. She could feel Nick’s shirt wet beneath her cheek, which was odd. Diane hadn’t even realised she was crying.

A deep breath and she loosened her fingers, hoping Nick didn’t mind that she’d been clutching at his shirt so tightly. She smoothed it out once or twice before realising she was actually petting his lower back.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, easing away a little. It took a second to find her balance, blinking in what appeared to be bright light. She could see how wet Nick’s shirt was now. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said again.

“Are you alright?” Nick asked, then winced. “Sorry. Silly question.” He took hold of her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you to go in there alone. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

He sounded so upset Diane focussed on his face, meeting his eyes. “No,” she said, “this was not…hang on,” she said, “how do you know what,” she breathed deeply, “happened?”

He looked at her like she was crazy. “You came running out of there,” he said, “and five seconds later that absolute bell-end came strolling out.” His voice was tight with anger. “I would have followed him but I was…otherwise engaged.”

“With me,” Diane supplied.

“Yes,” Nick said. He shrugged, trying to make a joke. “Priorities.”

“Thank you,” Diane said again, feeling tears threaten. “He was…” she shuddered. “He as much as said he ruined our things,” she said, “and he said he was going to find me tonight.” Another shudder, threatening to devolve into the shakes again.

“Right,” Nick said, standing up, taking Diane’s hand in one of his, the other picking up their belongings. “We are not staying here.”

“Wait,” Diane said, following as he strode down the hall, longer legs moving faster than she could comfortably follow. “Nick, wait!”

He slowed, looking at her.

“I don’t want to be a nuisance,” she said, pushing down tears and panic. “Can we just…sit in the cafeteria for a while?” She drew a breath. “There’s people there. And food.” Nick looked at her and she could almost see him fighting with himself. “Please, Nick,” she said.

“Very well,” he said finally, “but if we see him again, I am calling the police.”

“Fine,” she said.

He held her eyes for so long she wondered if he was planning to speak, but he squeezed her hand instead.

The cafeteria was more or less empty; it must have been later than Diane thought. Nick dropped their bags on a sofa, not letting go of Diane’s hand as they collected a tray with sandwiches, cereal bars and fruit. She felt herself pressing close to him, nodding at each suggestion without complaint. He handed her a bottle of water and led her back to the sofa.

He moved with care, bringing a chair over to serve as a table for their food. When it was arranged, he looked at her with a gentle smile then turned and sat himself down, pulling her down to rest beside him. His arm came around her shoulder, drawing her close, and Diane found herself resting against his chest.

“Sandwich?” he murmured, offering her the plate. She took one, eating automatically. When a bottle of water appeared, Diane took it, drinking before handing it back. She was warm here, and safe; Nick’s quiet assumption of the decision making for them both made her feel protected. Nick said something else, the words rumbling through his torso and her ear. She couldn’t form words to ask him, but it didn’t matter. Shifting a little, she wrapped her arm around Nick’s waist, and before she could form another complete thought, she’d drifted off away from Canada.


	2. Chapter 2

When she awoke, there were a lot of confusing details. Something was warm and heavy over her – a blanket of some kind, but she wasn’t in bed. Or a cot, or anything flat enough to be a usual sleeping place. Her legs were tucked up, and she couldn’t stretch out; something was in the way. On a couch, then? Her head was definitely resting on something, but it was warm and firmer than any pillow that she’d experienced.

Carefully, Diane opened her eyes. She was in the cafeteria of the school. The sky was light but the room was still largely empty, which meant it was early. She felt heavy, as though she would be able to sleep again if her mind wasn’t racing so fast. Why was that? What had happened to end her up here?

_Oh._

The evening came back to her with a rush of adrenaline, fear threading through it before she could control it. With a gasp she scrambled to sit up, realising her head had been resting on Nick’s thigh. As she moved something heavy dropped from her shoulder, and she saw his hand thud to the cushion behind her. The movement startled him, and he blinked, sitting up and wincing. One hand came up to rub at his neck, and his eyes focussed slowly, moving to settle on Diane.

“Hello,” he said, looking at her uncertainly.

“Hello,” she replied, eyes sandy as she blinked hard. “What…did we sleep here?”

“We did,” he replied. “Not entirely on purpose, I think.”

“We ate something,” Diane remembered.

“And then you fell asleep,” Nick explained. “Beulah came over to see us. She assumed you were just tired and brought us these blankets. I asked her to keep an eye on us since what happened with the ketchup was mainly our things and she’s still over there.” He waved in the direction of the kitchen.

Diane looked over to see Beulah talking to a man who looked like he was from the Middle East. She glanced up at Nick’s movement, acknowledging his wave. When she’d finished what she was saying, she bustled over to see them.

“You’re awake,” she said, smiling. “Hope the sofa wasn’t too hard on your backs.”

“It was fine,” Diane said.

“Well I hope we can find you somewhere to sleep tonight,” Beulah said. There was a shade of worry behind her kind face as she added, “We’re pretty full but I’m sure we can find-“

“Actually,” Nick said, and Diane knew what he was going to do when he glanced uncertainly at her. Tears welled in her eyes and she took his hand and nodded. “Actually,” he said, squeezing her fingers, “we had a bit of an…incident last night. We were kind of hoping someone might be able to move us out of the school?”

Beulah’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Nick outlined what had happened, explaining how Andy had escalated from talking to accosting Diane in the bathrooms. “We don’t feel safe here anymore,” he said, his tone apologetic. “It’s nothing to do with the local people, you’ve been wonderful.”

“I’m so sorry,” Diane burst out, dismayed at the shock on Beulah’s face. “Everyone else has been wonderful, and you’ve all worked so hard-”

“No, no,” Beulah replied. The shock faded and her face set in determination. “We will sort this out right now. Come with me.”

They stood up, stretching a little at the movement after a night on the sofa, then picked up their bags and followed the determined woman.

“Annette,” Beulah said, finding the woman in the kitchen, “is Louisa still away?”

“Yes,” Annette replied without looking up from the sandwiches she was making. She glanced at Diane, silent tears still tracking down her face, and over at Nick, his expression grim. “Why? What’s happened?”

“These folks would like somewhere else to stay,” Beulah said. “I need you to get them settled at Louisa’s, then get Oz over there to take a statement.” She turned to Diane and Nick. “I am so sorry this happened here. We will make sure this man does not keep doing this.”

“Thank you,” Diane whispered.

Annette took them in her car a few streets over, letting them in with a spare key from under the flowerpot. “Here you are,” she said easily. “Let me just change the bed and I’ll let you get some rest.” They stood in the living room, silent as Annette bustled around, then showed them around the small house.

“Help yourself to anything you need.” Annette pointed to the phone in the kitchen. “My home number’s in the speed dial, and the school number’s on the fridge. Call me if you want anything.” She hesitated before adding, “They’re going to have a night out tonight at Matty’s Bar. Just to take people’s mind off what’s been happening. If you think it’s a good idea, you should come down.”

“Thank you,” Nick replied, and Annette gave him the key and let herself out.

Suddenly, there was silence, and they were alone.

“Will you lock the door please?” Diane whispered. Nick did, turning the key firmly so it clicked.

“Are you hungry?” Nick asked. “Or would you rather…what would you like to do?”

She blinked at him, a wave of fatigue coming over her. Her ears were almost ringing in the silence. “I need to sit down,” she said, her voice louder than it should be.

“I think Beulah mentioned a police officer might come over,” Nick said, a gentle hand in the small of her back guiding her over to the sofa. “Should I…do you want me to make a cup of tea while we wait for them?”

“Yes, please,” Diane said automatically. She didn’t want tea, particularly, but having it would be fine. Something warm to hold, at least. Nick hesitated before leaving the room. She could hear him moving around the kitchen, opening and closing a lot of cupboards as he searched for the makings of tea for them both.

She had just accepted a cup when there was a knock at the door. Nick answered just as she looked at him. “I’ll get it,” he said immediately.

He opened the door, admitting the police officer, a serious looking man who immediately removed his baseball cap.

“Mornin’,” he greeted them both. “I’m Oz Fudge. Annette tells me you’ve been having some trouble over at the Academy?”

“Come in,” Nick said. He offered the policeman a drink, but he declined, pulling up a chair to face Diane. Nick sat beside her, and they reached for each other’s hands without looking or speaking. It made her feel better to have him close. She wondered if he knew that.

“Now,” Constable Fudge said, his words low and kind, “why don’t we start from the beginning.”

Diane took a deep breath and nodded. She started with the first time she’d met Andy at the airport. Reliving the first memories wasn’t so bad; she tried to explain how he had just seemed gauche and a little pushy, and she’d tried to give him a hint. The police officer asked a lot of questions – what he looked like, what he was wearing, his accent – and Diane did her best to remember.

When she came to the point that Nick was part of the story, he added his perspective. When her voice thickened as she spoke about the moments he wasn’t there, Nick squeezed her hand, she was grateful for his support.

“And then last night,” Diane said, her voice shaking before she’d even started, “we’d sorted our things into plastic bags, after the ketchup thing, and we had found somewhere new to sleep.” She glanced up at Nick.

“I found us a space between a family and a wall,” Nick explained. “The father was very helpful. He offered to keep an eye on us and our things.”

“Andreas,” Diane murmured.

“We’d just left our things there and decided to find something to eat,” Nick continued. “We hadn’t seen Andy since we had arrived back. I think we just…didn’t think.” The anger in his voice made Diane look at him, and when he met her eyes she was surprised to see it wasn’t anger so much as frustration and self-recrimination.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said to him, placing her mug between her knees and her free hand over his.

“I said I’d stay with you,” he told her, the words barely murmured, his eyes apologetic.

“Into the ladies’ room?” Diane asked disbelievingly. “I didn’t think anything of it.”

A throat cleared and she remembered the police officer. “So he was waiting for you in the ladies’ room?” he asked.

The warmth drained from Diane and she nodded, swallowing. The bubble she and Nick had suddenly found around themselves burst and she remembered why they were here. Why there was a police officer in the room.

“He was waiting,” she said quietly. “When I was washing my hands he was just…behind me.” She swallowed again, a swoop of fear roiling through her stomach. “He looked…not angry. Determined. As though it was a game. He thought he’d been nice, arranging dinner, making an effort. He made it clear he thought I should be grateful. And he mentioned Nick. And the cots. I’m sure it was him.” She watched as Constable Fudge made notes. When he stopped and looked up at her, she continued, “I tried to leave but he grabbed me.” She rubbed at her arm, wincing when she realised it was sore.

“He said…” her voice wavered, and she closed her eyes, gripping Nick’s hands as she repeated his words, “‘I’ll see you later, posh boy close by or not. We’ll get to know each properly other then.’”

She heard Nick draw a deep breath, and he pulled his hand loose to wrap it around her shoulders as the tears started to fall, her breathing loud and fast in her ears. Nick and the policeman talked for a few minutes, and Diane felt Nick shift.

“Do you think…he wants to take a photograph of your arm,” Nick said, his words quiet in her ear. “If there’s a bruise…I’m sorry,” he said.

“No,” she said, pushing to sit up. A deep breath, wiping the tears from under her eyes. “No, I want to.” She looked right at the policeman. “What do you need from me?”

The bruise was still developing, but he took several photographs. “We might take some more tomorrow,” he said, apologetic. “Sometimes you can’t really see it for a couple of days.”

“Okay,” Diane said, holding in her fear. Much as she wanted to crawl under a duvet somewhere and cry, that wouldn’t help. “What about…him? What’s going to happen?”

“Well, since he grabbed you, if you want to press charges,” she nodded immediately, “I can pick him up as soon as I see him. You can come down and make a statement at some point before you leave, maybe this afternoon if you could?”

Diane nodded. “Of course.”

“Well, I’ll circulate a description of him, see if we can get hold of a passport photo or at least find out which flight he’s on.”

“He’s on our flight,” Diane said immediately. “We were the last plane to be allowed off.” She gave him the flight number, relieved it would narrow his search.

“Well, if anyone sees him, I’ll do my best to make sure he’s in custody as soon as possible,” he said. He handed Diane a card. “This is my mobile phone number, and the station. They can patch you through to my radio if I don’t answer. Call me if you have any more contact with him, either of you. He shouldn’t know you’re here, but keep the doors locked and take reasonable precautions.” He frowned. “I’m sorry this is happening while you’re here.”

“It’s not your fault,” Diane said. “He’s not even a local.”

The police officer smiled a little. “Still, it’s not pleasant.”

He stood up, nodding to each of them before making his way to the door, baseball cap back on his head. “Well, you take care of each other. We’ll keep in touch.”

As soon as the door closed, Diane let out a breath. “I am so glad that is over,” she said.

Nick didn’t speak, simply opening his arms and walking closer, enfolding Diane in a hug that she felt down to her bones. It felt like they were going through all this together, she thought, and she was so glad it wasn’t just her on her own. Even if it did mean Nick was being inconvenienced by the whole thing.

“We can go down to the police station later,” Nick said quietly. Diane nodded, knowing he would feel it, not wanting to talk anymore. Words had been difficult and she’d forced herself to find them for the policeman, determined not to let her fear stop them finding this frightening man. And having Nick there was an enormous help. Again, she wondered if he knew.  
“I’m glad you’re here,” she told him. “It’s an enormous help. To know you’re here.”

The words were awkward again, and they didn’t begin to cover how she felt, but she felt better having said something, at least. From the blush now colouring his cheeks Nick was appreciative if a little flustered by her compliment.

“Thank you,” he said.

They stood in the silence for a long beat, and this time the words slipped out quiet and simple. “I think I want to sleep.”

Nick nodded, though the blush on his cheeks deepened. “Certainly,” he murmured.

Diane frowned at him, but walked past towards the hallway. She stopped in the doorway of the bedroom Annette had indicated earlier, realising what had made Nick blush.

“Oh,” she said as her eyes landed on the bed. The one bed. It was intended for two people, obviously, but still…only one bed.

She was still standing in the doorway when Nick approached. He stood beside her, facing the bed too, and she could feel the tension in his hunched shoulders.

“I’m going to brush my teeth,” Diane said. She reached for Nick’s hand briefly, squeezing it before walking into the bathroom. Her plastic bag of belongings were in there where she’d left them earlier and as she brushed her teeth, fatigue washed over her. It had been a tumultuous couple of days and although it was morning her body was quite definite that it needed more rest. Her mind was equally certain that in order to rest properly, Nick needed to be there. Well, then, she thought, she’d have to be definitive.

Leaving the bathroom, she could see the bedroom was empty. She paused, wondering if her heart should be pounding or not. Surely, going to find Nick and ask him to come to bed with her warranted an increased heart rate? And yet she was calm, eyes heavy with tiredness as she went in search of Nick.

He was in the kitchen, eyes far away looking out the window. Diane didn’t disturb him yet, instead unlacing her shoes and leaving them by the door. She paused, taking a deep breath – no, still no butterflies. This felt right, and the possibility of Nick saying no wasn’t even something she could consider watching.

“Are you coming?” she asked. No point over complicating it.

Nick started, his eyes moving back to settle on Diane. He was still contemplative, and she knew without thinking about it what was on his mind. Who would have thought it would be her consoling him, she thought as she stepped across the kitchen.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said quietly.

“I know,” he said, but his tone was unconvincing.

Diane lifted one eyebrow. “Do you?” she asked. “Because you look like someone still berating yourself.”

Nick studied her, still an arms’ length away. “I didn’t…I promised to keep him away from you.”

“You did,” Diane said. “No, you _did_,” she said, reaching for his hand, stepping forward so she could reach. “Neither of us thought he would go that far. And now,” she swallowed, holding his gaze, “at least it’s enough for them to do something. If he’d just kept following us around, we might have just had to put up with it.”

Nick swallowed, nodding hesitantly. “That’s a remarkably positive outlook,” he said.

“What’s that saying?” she said, gripping his fingers. “If you don’t laugh you’ll cry?”

“Something like that,” Nick replied. They stood in silence for half a dozen breaths before Diane spoke again.

“So are you coming?” she asked. They were still holding hands, and she loosened her fingers in case he declined.

Now her heart was pounding as she thought it might earlier; Nick’s eyes were more hesitant that she expected, and now the outcome was less certain than she thought.

“I’ll visit the bathroom first,” Nick said finally, curling his fingers around Diane’s briefly.

She let out a long breath, smiling a little in relief. “I’ll see you there,” she said.

They walked in line down the hall, she turning right and he left to the bathroom. For a second she hesitated, wondering which side of the bed he preferred, but she was so tired now that it didn’t seem to matter. She looked at the nightdress Annette had set out, hesitating before setting it aside. Right now she just wanted to sleep. She took the closest side, curling under the duvet and rolling to face the middle of the bed. How long was it since she last slept in a bed? Paris, who knew how many hours ago. All those hours on the plane, then in the shelter on those cots, plus there was the time difference…whatever the answer, this bed was wonderful.

She had started to drift away, eyes closed, when quiet footsteps entered the room. When no other noise reached her ears, Diane opened her eyes with considerable effort. Nick was standing on the far side of the bed, eyes on her face. She smiled sleepily at him, too tired for words. Eyes still on her, Nick took off his shoes and hung his jacket carefully over the back of the chair. The mattress dipped and a wash of cooler air flowed under the duvet as they pulled back, allowing Nick to slide underneath.

She could feel him close, though he was careful to ensure they didn’t touch, it was still comforting. Diane felt herself hum with relief, eyes closing again. Her breathing was slow and she felt calm, despite the events of the last few days. She never would have thought she would be here…but here she was, breathing the same air as Nick.

Peaceful.

+++

Diane woke to the smell of coffee and an empty far side of a bed. It was still daylight. She stretched, the duvet shifting over her as she blinked herself awake. The events of the past few days felt a long way away now, with a solid sleep between her and the morning.

She assumed Nick was responsible for the coffee, and was sitting up to go in search of it when Nick appeared in the doorway.

“You’re awake,” he said. He carried two mugs of coffee, offering one to Diane as she pushed herself to sit up against the headboard.

“Only just,” she said. “Thank you.”

He hovered uncertainly until she patted the bed beside her, scooting over to allow him room to sit. “Thank you,” he murmured. He sipped at his coffee.

“What time is it?” she asked. “I have no idea how long we slept.”

“Late afternoon,” he said. “We slept a long time.”

“Might be hard to sleep tonight,” Diane replied. “But I couldn’t have stayed awake any longer.”

“No,” Nick said. “It hasn’t exactly been a restful visit so far.”

“The people who live here aren’t to blame for that, though,” Diane said. Her coffee was perfect. “They’ve been wonderful.”

“Yes,” Nick said. “They really are a remarkable town, aren’t they?”

They sat in silence for a while again. Diane was reminded how comfortable they had become, neither feeling the need to fill the gaps between conversations with noise for the sake of it. That in itself was remarkable, she thought. People in Texas were loud and she often found herself fitting that stereotype, but with Nick the need to talk was often quietly stilled in her.

It was lovely.

“How are you?” Nick asked finally. He sounded tentative, and Diane had the distinct impression she could unconvincingly lie and he wouldn’t push the issue. Despite having that option, she found herself wanting to tell the truth. With that in mind, she considered his question.

“I’m…okay,” she said carefully. Nick didn’t speak, and she appreciated the time to think about his complicated question. “I slept well,” she said. “And everything feels like it was a long time ago.”

Nick nodded. “While you were asleep Annette stopped in,” he said. “I’m sorry, I woke earlier than you and I didn’t want to-”

“It’s fine,” Diane said, placing her hand over his to bring a halt to his babbling. “What did Annette say?”

“We had an interesting conversation,” Nick replied. “She wanted to check on you, and to make sure we didn’t need anything.”

Diane nodded, her face flushing at making such a fuss over her. “It’s fine,” Nick echoed her words, reversing their hands, pressing his own over hers instead of the other way around. “She was worried about you.”

“That’s very kind,” Diane said, trying for a smile.

“She also want to remind us they’re having a bit of a night out tonight,” Nick said. “Things are getting a bit tense and they want to give everyone an outlet. There’s a bar close by and they’re planning a Newfoundland party.”

Diane nodded, not sure where Nick was going. Hadn’t Annette advised them to remain inside? Or together, at least. “I’m not sure I understand,” she said, when it appeared he wasn’t going to continue.

“If we decided to go,” Nick said, obviously choosing his words carefully, “it could be a good time to take our minds off…everything.”

Diane nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“If you’re worried about Andy being there,” Nick said, “Annette has offered to arrange things to make sure we feel safe.” He pressed her hand again. “To make sure you feel safe.”

She smiled. “You are quite protective, aren’t you?” The words slipped out before she could think about it.

Nick stilled, his shoulders straightening. “Yes,” he said quietly. “I am.”

His words hung in the air between them. Diane wondered if she should ask what he meant…but she wasn’t sure she was prepared for the answer. Having him close was comforting, but was she ready for more than that?

“What did she have in mind?” Diane asked.

Nick’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Are you considering going?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said quietly but firmly. “I didn’t…” she took a deep breath. “I don’t want him to ruin everything.” She looked at Nick as steadily as she was able. “So I would like to go to the party.” She smiled a tremulous smile. “With you, actually.”

“Of course,” Nick replied immediately. He took a breath. “If there are enough people there who know some of what happened, we’ll be surrounded by friends. Annette will be there, and Oz, Andreas, and some other locals.” He paused, as though checking if there was anything he’d missed. “And if he shows up, all those people will be there to make sure we’re okay.”

Diane nodded. She must have looked thoughtful, because Nick asked, “What?”

She blinked, focussing on him. “I was just thinking,” she said, “you’ve included yourself in that.”

The blush was becoming familiar, she thought, watching it move up Nick’s cheeks. “Annette pointed out that it was both our cots covered in ketchup,” he admitted. “And if he mentioned me by name, well, he might consider…”

“Consider targeting you,” Diane finished for him, her voice barely a whisper. She swallowed, reconsidering her position. Could she make the decision that might make Nick a target? “Do you want to go?” she asked.

“If you’re going,” Nick replied immediately.

She looked at him in exasperation. “That’s not what I asked,” she said.

“I know,” he replied. “If you want to go, I will gladly come with you,” he said. “So, are we going?”

“I think we are,” Diane said. “What time does it start?” She frowned. “How are we getting there?”

“Oz said he’d pick us up,” Nick replied. “Well, actually, he said he’d take us to the station to make statements, then onto the party.”

“Oz?” Diane repeated.

“Constable Fudge,” Nick corrected himself. “Sorry, Annette refers to him as such and I think I just copied her.”

“Okay,” Diane said. “I should probably get out of bed, then.”

“I think we have time,” Nick said. “We should eat something before we go, at any rate.”

“Yes,” Diane said, suddenly starving. She raised her mug. “Lovely though it was, I don’t think any more coffee is a good idea. I’d like to get some sleep tonight, as well.”

Nick smiled. “I’ll see what I can find in the kitchen.” He took her mug, and for one breathless second Diane thought he was going to kiss her, such did he lean forward – but he was simply getting his weight under him to stand up. As soon as he’d left she closed her eyes, berating herself for such a silly thought. She was as bad as a teenager, she scolded herself.

As she used the bathroom and attended to her hair, Diane considered how she felt about going out. There was a reasonable chance that he – that _Andy_ – would appear at the bar, especially if it was going around the shelter that people were collecting there tonight.

The effort Annette and Nick had already gone to was touching, though, and as she thought about it, the more she was determined to go. He had only threatened her when it was the two of them, nobody around to see or hear or intervene. They were talking about going into a public space, surrounded by people, and with a bunch of people there who knew what was happening and would be on the lookout for anybody threatening. With at least a couple of women, Diane knew she would even have an escort into the ladies, and this time she wouldn’t be shy in asking for it.

A last look in the mirror and she nodded to herself. She would not let this guy ruin her time here – or what was happening with Nick.

+++

Oz – he insisted she call him that – picked them up a little while later. He was dressed in civilian clothes, and he assured Diane that there were half a dozen people there who knew the situation and would be taking note of her, and Nick.

“If you see him, even just standing on the other side of the room, you are to tell one of us,” Oz told her, his face serious. “I’ll introduce you around, but if you see this guy, you make sure one of us sees him. We want to get him out of the way as soon as we can.”

“Thank you,” Diane said. Nick was holding her hand again, and she smiled at him. They hadn’t spoken much as they ate, and she wondered again what he was thinking about. Was he nervous about coming out tonight? Relived to have the responsibility of protecting her spread out?

They arrived, and Oz introduced her around – a whirlwind of people, all with ready smiles and thick accents. “This is Doug, Dwight, Garth, Matty – he owns the bar – and his wife Brenda, her sister Sarah and her wife Amy…” the names rolled on, and Diane just tried to keep the faces straight.

“Do all these people know what’s going on?” she asked Nick when Oz turned away.

“I don’t know,” Nick said. He asked Oz, who nodded at Diane.

“They’re pretty upset that someone is behaving so badly here in Gander,” Oz said. “It’s just not our way. And they’re all happy to keep a lookout for you, so don’t hesitate to tell someone if you’re uncomfortable, you hear?”

“Thank you,” she said, and he winked at her and moved away.

“There’s Andreas,” Diane said, pointing as he arrived in the doorway. They greeted him, and introduced him to Oz and some of the other locals; they greeted him warmly and he was soon engrossed in a conversation about the merits of ice hockey versus curling with Doug and Dwight.

“Well that was easy,” Diane said. She was still a little on edge, and when someone offered her a beer, she was tempted. “No thank you,” she said. “Probably not a good idea.”

Nick nodded. “Me either.”

She smiled at him. “I didn’t think you were a big drinker.”

“I’m not,” he replied, “though I do order wine with dinner when I’m out. From what I’ve heard there’s some kind of local drink, though. I’m hoping to avoid that.” He made a face.

“Bad?” she asked, entranced by the expressions moving across his face. Had he always been so expressive?

“Like cheap spiced rum,” he said. “According to Annette they do some kind of ceremony to induct you as an honorary Newfoundlander. She wouldn’t tell me all the details but drinking the rum is apparently part of it.”

“Well we will have to do our best not to get accidentally drawn into any ceremonies, won’t we?” Diane said.

“Yes,” Nick replied.

They watched the musicians for a while, fascinated at the ease with which most picked up several different instruments to play. There was something called an ugly stick, aptly named, and they both clapped along with the lively dances. Several locals were dancing, reels and sea shanty type songs that seemed to have call and response verses. It wasn’t long before a round or two of drinks saw come-from-aways learning the dances, trying to keep up with the lyrics and dancing to hilarious results. Diane found herself relaxing, though her eyes did still scan the crowds for faces. There was nothing, though, and having Nick beside her made her feel safe again.

“Hi there, folks,” someone said, and Diane turned to see a familiar smiling face behind her.

“This here’s our mayor,” Oz said over the music.

“We’ve met,” Diane said. “At Tim Horton’s…was it yesterday morning?”

“It was,” he said, leaning in, “though the days are kind of running together at the moment.”

“I know what you mean,” Diane said, smiling back at him.

Oz leaned in to say something, and Claude’s face changed. “Oz tells me you’ve been having some troubles,” he said seriously. “You’re being taken care of?”

“Yes,” Diane assured him, her face heating as yet another person knew what was going on. “Thank you. Oz has been wonderful and there’s a whole lot of people helping.”

“Everyone’s been very kind,” Nick added.

“Well, good,” Claude said. “As if things weren’t rough enough for you folks, and someone has to go and make life difficult.”

“Yes,” Diane said.

“Well, how about we brighten that smile?” Claude asked, beaming at them. He raised his voice over the din. “Let’s have ourselves a ceremony!”

Diane looked at Nick, and the look of dawning protest on his face matched how she felt. They’d just said they should avoid getting dragged into something and now it seemed the Mayor of Gander himself was going to start things off…

“Who wants to be a Newfoundlander?” he cried.

Diane felt herself pushed firmly forward, and she reached out for Nick, bringing him along. The crowd cheered, and a bunch of other people came forward – or were pushed, she thought, blinking up at Nick. He seemed resigned to be there, a slight smile on his face as he met her eyes and they ate and drank and repeated the things they were told to. Diane wondered if she would even remember the ceremony as they tossed back a shot of the local drink.

Her throat was still burning when someone brought out a giant, whole fish. She was gasping at the size of it, when Claude started a spiel about how important the fish was to the ceremony. Were they going to have to touch it? Diane shuddered at the thought, and met Nick’s eyes. He looked as revolted – and confused – as she, but before she could ask if he knew what the fish had to do with anything, Claude cried,

“If you want to be an honorary Newfoundlander, you’ll have to kiss the fish!”

“Kiss it?” Diane exclaimed at the same time Nick said,

“Urgh!”

Several people went before them, and Diane watched as they kissed the fish with varying levels of enthusiasm. The crowd cheered each time, but as it came closer, she felt herself drawing in. There was no way she was going to be able to do that. It looked revolting. Claude presented the fish to Nick.

“I’m not kissing a fish!” he exclaimed, looking pleadingly at Diane.

“Go on,” she goaded him, “I’ll do it if you do!” She wasn’t entirely sure if she would be able to go through with it, but she knew for sure if Nick didn’t, she wouldn’t. She might need the incentive of knowing Nick had done it to make her go through with it.

“Oh, alright….urgh….” Nick said, hesitating before giving the fish the smallest possible peck. He winced and wiped his mouth. Diane was too busy laughing at him to realise it was her turn next.

For a long moment, she looked at the fish, seeing Nick’s face expectant behind it.

“I can’t do it!” She said finally.

“I did!” Nick protested, and Claude waggled the fish before her.

“I can’t do it!” she repeated.

“Come on, it’s a vital part of the ceremony,” Claude urged. “You’ve gotta kiss the fish!”

“Nope,” she said, feeling her stomach roil. “I can’t!”

“Well, I’ll do you a deal,” Claude said, and there was mischief in his eyes as he told her, “either you kiss this fish or you kiss this Englishman you’re not married to.”

Diane looked at him, mouth falling open, then looked at Nick, who was just saying, “What?!” in response to Claude. The crowd heard, and was cheering, but Diane could only hear her heart thumping as she looked at Nick. She absolutely didn’t want to kiss the fish, but the more surprising sensation within her was how strong her desire to kiss Nick was – and it had nothing to do with getting out of kissing the fish.

Had it been so obvious to Claude?

Blinking, she looked at Nick, wondering if doing it now would be hiding behind Claude’s offer… and then she was distracted. Something was moving behind Nick, and her eyes focussed on the crowd.

It was Andy, his face contorted with rage. He wasn’t moving, but when her eyes met his she could see the threat in them.

Her face must have changed, because Nick immediately sat up, then followed her gaze, turning around. He lifted his hand at the same time Diane did, both pointing in the same direction, their faces telegraphing the urgency of their message as they sought familiar faces in the crowd.

Andy saw it as clearly as everyone else.

Unfortunately for him, he was surrounded by Ganderites, and unfortunately for him, the grapevine in Gander is the most efficient in the world.

Before he could move, the people around him pressed close, several large and muscular bodies pinning him in place. Both Doug and Andreas were quick to come close, and the noise in the bar dropped suddenly as Andy hit out only to be summarily dropped to the floor by Andreas. A knee in the back and he was subdued, Andreas as calm as if he was buying milk.

Oz detached himself from the crowd, looking at Nick and Diane with a raised eyebrow – they responded with fervent nods – before sauntering over to the man now lying on the floor.

“Will you stand up, please?” Oz asked him. Andreas removed his knee, and Andy stood up, his face red, breathing heavily.

“I wanna press charges,” he hissed, loud enough to be heard over the practically silent bar.

“I’m not sure you’re in a position to do that, m’lad,” Oz said to him. “This man was defending himself. You however, have a charge outstanding of common assault. I’d advise you to come with me to answer some questions, nice and quiet so’s the rest of these folk can enjoy the rest of their night.”

“I don’t think so, mate,” Andy spat, the venom in his voice startling Diane. She reached for Nick without thinking, fumbling her fingers into his. Andy looked past Oz, sneering at the two screech-ins holding hands.

“Pity we can’t get out of here,” he said to them. “The second I’m done with this guy,” he waved one hand at Oz, “I’m coming back for our date, Diane.”

Diane shook her head vehemently but couldn’t speak. Nick squeezed her fingers and she responded in kind.

“We’ll talk about that at the station too,” Oz said. “Come on now, let’s head-”

He didn’t have the chance to finish what he was saying, Andy hitting out in rage. “I’ll fucking do you, copper,” he roared, punching Oz in the mouth, “and you’re next, posh boy.” He probably would have continued had two large men not jumped on him, wrestling him to the floor. He continued to shout, but it was both incoherent and drowned out by the noise suddenly from the rest of the bar.

People were talking animatedly to each other, someone screamed, but as he was restrained, people cheered and applause broke out.

“Well,” Oz said, standing up. Someone passed him a wad of tissues, which he pressed to his bleeding lip. He looked at the bloody tissues before pressing it to him mouth again. “It gives me great pleasure to arrest you for assaulting a police officer, disturbing the peace and making threats. We can deal with the rest some other time. I’d say that’s enough to be getting on with, wouldn’t you?” He nodded to the men holding Andy down, and they hauled him up so Oz could handcuff him, then lead him away.

“Goodness,” Diane said, realising she was gripping Nick’s hands with both her own.

He turned to look at her, their hands still entwined. “Are you alright?” he asked anxiously.

“Yes,” she said. “Or no. I don’t know. I somehow don’t think we’ll have to worry about him anymore.”

“No,” Nick said, and there was relief in his eyes.

“Now, can we get back to the ceremony?” Claude called over the noise, and a cheer rose. He looked back at Diane and Nick, still holding the fish.

“I think I remember where we were up to,” Diane said, blushing but looking at Nick.

“You do?” Nick asked, eyes wide.

“Yes,” Diane said. “I had a choice.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “And there is no way I’m kissing that fish.”

“Very well,” Nick answered.

There was something like disappointment in his eyes, and Diane realised she only really had one choice. She glanced at him, then the fish, and screwed up her eyes, pressing her lips to the fish. It was exactly as revolting as she thought it would be, and she wiped her mouth vigorously on the sleeve of her borrowed cardigan, mentally apologising to whomever had made it. The crowd cheered, and when she looked at Nick he was grinning at her reaction.

“Not the choice I thought you’d make,” Claude said to her, quiet enough that it wasn’t heard over the cheer of the crowd. He moved on, and Diane spoke to Nick, leaning in again to speak more quietly. She untangled one of her hands, resting it on his shoulder as she spoke.

“I didn’t want you to think it was just to avoid the fish,” she said, pulling back to watch his face as he processed what she’d said. When she could see he’d heard her and understood, she smiled, leaned in again, and kissed him.

She didn’t move, waiting to see what Nick would do. A sweep of relief flowed through her when he fumbled to separate their hands, bringing his up to her face and very definitely kissing her back. She pressed into him and into the kiss, the wave of sound receding as the whole world pulled inwards to just the two of them, sitting awkwardly in these chairs and finally, finally kissing.

Eventually the kiss broke, and Diane’s eyes opened to see Nick’s impossibly close. She eased back, blinking at him, feeling the smile break over her face as she saw the happiness in his eyes. His hands were still cradling her face, and she could feel them trembling as his thumbs brushed over her cheeks. There was no doubt about how he felt, it was written all over his face.

“So not just for the ceremony?” Nick murmured.

“Absolutely not,” she replied.

“Good,” Nick replied. He smiled at her again, and ducked in for a kiss, but it was brief when Claude interrupted them.

“Okay, you two, no need to continue the ceremony any longer,” he said to raucous laughter.

They stood up and impulsively, Diane hugged Claude. “Thank you,” she whispered to him.

“Of course,” he said, a little flustered and definitely redder in the face.

Nick and Diane turned, surveying the crowd that had now drifted back to what they had been doing before the screech in – mostly playing music, dancing and drinking. She felt Nick’s hand steal into hers and smiled. They made their way over to the group again, and this time, Diane accepted the beer offered. Nick accepted one too, and they stayed for one drink, talking to Andreas and some of the other come-from-aways that had joined them. It was a nice evening, and when people started drifting away, Diane felt herself yawning. She was still tired from all that had happened, and apparently, Nick had noticed.

“Time to head home?” he asked, bending to speak into her ear.

“I think so,” she replied.

“One of the locals will give us a lift,” Nick said, waving at Doug and raising his eyebrows. Doug obliged, driving them the few blocks home and waiting, his truck idling in the driveway until Nick had done a quick sweep of the house.

“It doesn’t really make sense that I feel better after you’ve done that,” Diane said. “Seeing Andy get arrested and everything.”

“Yes, well,” Nick replied, locking the door, “it’s better to be safe.”

Diane shivered, her memory reminding her of the viciousness of Andy’s threats in the bar. “It is.”

She smiled as he crossed the room towards her. “You’re very protective, you know,” she said. “Have I told you that?”

“You have,” Nick murmured. They reached at the same time, his hands sliding around her waist as hers ran up his shoulders and around his neck.

“It’s really very attractive,” Diane told him. “And I appreciate it. You didn’t have to be some considerate.”

“Oh, but I did,” Nick replied. “I could hardly have left you to deal with him on your own. Here where nobody knew anybody else,” he shrugged. “We had to look out for each other.”

“Very considerate,” Diane repeated, reaching up to kiss him again.

Nick reciprocated, of course, and she felt his arms tighten. She was melting into him, too and soon they swayed together, bodies pressed into one form as they kissed. Nothing here to interrupt them, Diane noticed vaguely, most of her mind trying to process the overwhelming amount of sensation she was experiencing. And with nothing to interrupt, they kissed for what felt like forever, until Diane couldn’t remember what it was like not to be standing here. Her fingers curled against the back of his neck, their kisses deepening until there was nothing else in the world.

When they eased back, everything was fuzzy, and Diane realised how tired she actually was – but being close to Nick was rocketing higher on her list of needs, too. Eyes practically closed with fatigue, she hummed, taking one of his hands and walking slowly down the hall.

“Teeth,” she murmured, hearing him doing the same. Her eyes were still basically closed as she brushed from memory, only a tiny glance showing her where her toothbrush was and where she should replace it. When she was done she found the nightdress Annette had left, taking herself into the bedroom to change, concentrating hard on remaining upright. Eventually she sat herself on the bed. Balance was increasingly difficult, and when Nick knocked on the door, she answered him without opening her eyes. A click, and as the door opened, and he wrapped one arm around her waist, she leaned into him.

“Come on,” he murmured, “let’s get you into bed.”

Diane hummed in agreement, following his lead until she was lying down. He was gone briefly, but this time when he pulled back the covers Diane crossed the space immediately, cuddling up as close as possible. He was wearing pyjamas, she thought hazily.

“Thank you,” she murmured, with no real idea if he could hear her or not. “You’re wonderful.”

“Anytime, sweetheart,” she heard, the last thing before sleep claimed her for its own.


	3. Chapter 3

When she woke, Diane was warm, cuddled close into something, and she had a pressing need to visit the bathroom. How frustrating that one of those three things negated the others, she thought blearily, easing herself out from under Nick’s arm and visiting the bathroom. She brushed her teeth again and drank a glass of water, feeling much more human for it, then headed back to bed, shivering in the cool air.

Nick was still there, burrowed under the duvet, and Diane grinned as she returned, seeking him out.

“Oh, you’re warm,” she murmured.

“You’re not,” he replied, then added, “I’m sorry, I have to…I’ll come back.”

“Okay,” Diane said happily. She burrowed in when he left, soaking up the warmth he’d left behind. He wasn’t gone long, and she smiled as he tucked himself back in, the two of them squirming until they were wound together as closely as possible.

“Good morning,” Nick murmured. His face was close to hers, which was excellent, she thought, turning to kiss him. He was closer than she’d thought, so her lips met his more firmly than she’d planned, but judging from his response, he was quite okay with that. It was a long time since she’d kissed anyone like they’d kissed the night before, but this was a whole new level of intimacy, she thought. Lying curled around each other in bed, kissing slowly…it felt like she was young again, she thought with a thrill.

“Did you sleep alright?” Diane asked, when they eased back just enough to talk to each other.

“Yes,” Nick replied, kissing her again. It was several moments later when he asked, “And you?”

“Like a rock,” she told him. “In a real bed, with real sheets.” She smiled, “and you.”

“And _you_,” Nick returned, and she didn’t know if she kissed him or the other way around. Either was it was glorious, the perfect way to start the-

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

They started apart, eyes wide at the intrusion to their perfect world.

“Someone at the door?” Diane asked.

They didn’t move, until a key in the lock and Annette’s voice sounded, “Hello? It’s Annette. Nick? Diane?”

Diane sagged with relief.

They sat up, Nick calling, “Just a moment!”

Diane glanced at him, as they both scrambled out of bed, staring at each other in their borrowed pyjamas and nightdress. A giggle rose in her and she pulled on the cardigan she’d taken off the night before.

“At least it’s not the Academy,” she murmured, and a grin broke over his blushing face.

“This whole adventure is ridiculous,” he replied, adding his jacket over his pyjamas, “why should this be any different?”

“Come on,” Diane said, holding out her hand.

They walked down the hall to find Annette in the kitchen making breakfast. “Good morning,” she said, her eyes kind and not at all surprised or embarrassed to find them in their night clothes. “I’m so sorry to do this, but the planes are starting to leave.”

Diane stood in shock, her mouth dropping open. “Leave? Leaving?”

Annette nodded. “Everyone on US planes are going first, the FAA are letting in US owned planes first. Do you know what flight you were on?”

“American 49,” they answered together automatically.

“American Airlines?” Annette asked. They nodded. “So you’ll be one of the first to leave, then.” She offered them the plate of toast.

“Okay,” Diane said, her brain still whirring. “How…how long do we have?”

“They want everyone back at the school as soon as possible,” Annette said. “Especially from American flights.”

Diane nodded. “We wanted to find Oz,” she said. “And the others. Thank them for…everything.”

“I can let them know,” Annette said, her face full of sympathy. “I’m sorry, I know this is sudden.”

“No, it’s…fine,” Diane said automatically, but she looked up at Nick, who hadn’t said a word so far. He gave her a tight smile, but didn’t speak.

“We’ll get dressed,” Diane said. “Wait, what do we do with the clothes we borrowed? We can’t wash them…”

“There’ll collect them at the Academy,” Annette assured her. “Just leave the pyjamas on the bed, I’ll wash everything before my sister returns.”

Diane nodded, shock still dulling her responses.

She tugged at Nick, pulling him down the hallway until they were back in the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, eyes glazed.

“Are you okay?” Diane asked. She blinked, not used to being on that side of the question lately.

“Yes, of course,” Nick replied, but his eyes didn’t meet hers.

“Hey,” she said, stepping closer. They were almost the same height with him sitting on the bed, and she turned his face up slightly to look at her. “What’s the matter?”

“Going home,” Nick said, and his eyes were filled with sadness.

Diane understood.

“Yes,” she murmured, dipping her head a little to kiss him. “But not quite yet.” She smiled, though it was tinged with the same sadness as in Nick’s eyes. “We still have a few hours. And the flight.”

“We do,” Nick replied, but he didn’t sound convinced.

Diane took a deep breath. “I’ll change in the bathroom,” she told him. She collected her clothes, closing the door behind herself before entering the bathroom. She changed automatically, only thinking about Nick and how far away London was…everything was blurry as she packed her things in the plastic bag, irrationally wondering if her carry-on bag would be clean.

She took a deep breath, seeing the bedroom door closed before heading back down to the kitchen. “Toast? Coffee?” Annette offered, but she couldn’t stomach anything.

“Nick won’t be long,” she assured Annette.

“You live in London, right?” Annette asked.

“No,” Diane said. “Dallas. Texas.”

“But Nick…isn’t he from London?” Annette asked, her eyes wide.

“I know,” Diane whispered, and the tears she’d been holding back burst forth. Annette hugged her, and she indulged for a moment before taking a deep breath and pulling herself together. “We’ll have to figure it out on the plane,” she said.

“Why was he on your plane then?” Annette asked.

“I was heading home from vacation, he was coming to Dallas for a conference,” Diane said. “Just…fate. If you believe in that kind of thing.”

Annette was looking at her, tears in her own eyes at the story. “Oh, I do,” she said earnestly.

“You do what?” Nick asked from the doorway.

“Nothing,” Diane replied. “Do you want something to eat?”

“Or coffee?” Annette asked.

“No thank you,” Nick replied. He tried for a smile but it didn’t quite come off, Diane thought.

Annette nodded. “Well I should take you back over to the Academy, then,” she said. “Oh! Your bags are clean! They’re in the cafeteria.”

They nodded, and it was a somber procession out to her car and back to the school.

When they arrived, Diane was relieved to see a police cruiser in the parking lot.

“Is that Oz?” she asked Annette.

“Probably,” Annette replied. “He might be keeping an eye on things.”

They all walked into the school together, Diane and Nick holding hands. It was chaotic, people walking at speed in all directions. Flight crews were trying to give directions, people had questions about a thousand things, from changing flights to medication to taking food with them.

“They’ve asked people to wait in the cafeteria if they’re ready to go and are on an American airline flight,” Annette said. “So that’s probably the best place to go.”

“Okay,” Nick said.

Annette hesitated. “I might not see you again,” she said. “So…best of luck to you both.”

Diane reached out to hug her. “Thank you for everything,” she said, tearing up immediately. “You have all been wonderful. And thank your sister for us.”

“Of course,” Annette said. She hugged Nick too, and disappeared into the crowd.

When they made it to the cafeteria, it was no less noisy, though the chaos was less. Someone had the bright idea to bring whiteboards in, and flight crews stood by boards bearing flight numbers and destinations. People were standing in loose groups near their flight; everyone looked tense. Nick and Diane found their carry-on bags waiting and it was the work of a moment to transfer everything back into them. Finished, they searched for ‘AA49’, and Diane felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Oz!” she exclaimed, hugging him without thinking. “Oh! Sorry.”

“You look like you had a good night,” Oz said, grinning carefully at them both. His lip was fat and split, but otherwise he looked fine.

“How are you?” Diane asked, wincing at the look of his lip.

“Fine,” he said, dismissing it. “Worth it for the news I’ve got for you now.” He grinned. “The nearest Provincial Court is in Grand Falls, and since an officer of the law was assaulted and threatened, they’re not prepared to release Andrew on bail. So he’ll be residing here until next month, when they can fit him in.”

“Really?” Diane asked. “And…then what?”

“He’ll probably be released and deported,” Oz said. “But you two’ll be long gone by then, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Right,” Diane said, glancing at Nick. “Well that is good news, Oz, thank you.”

“Not a problem,” he said. “I’m just sorry it happened here. Newfoundlanders are not like that.”

“Oh, we know,” Nick said. “You have all been remarkably accommodating. And kind.”

“You have,” Diane insisted when Oz tried to brush off the compliment,

“Just doing my job,” Oz said. “Well, I’m going to keep doin’ my rounds, make sure everything’s running as smoothly as it can.”

“Okay,” Diane said, and he disappeared much as Annette had.

“Okay!” Someone was standing on a table, trying to be heard over the noise. Finally, everyone quieted down, and with the help of a megaphone, he was heard. “The following flights are leaving first. If you do not hear your flight you will be leaving but not immediately. If you do hear your flight, you need to take everything that’s yours and head outside to the busses. They’re all going to the same place, so don’t worry if you’re on a bus with people from other flights, we just want the buses full. You’ll go through security and customs at the airport. Make sure you pick up your bagged lunch at the door.” He looked down at a list in his hand, the expectation hanging over the tense crowd.

“American Airlines flights 27 and 49. United Airlines flight 180. Delta Airlines flights 219 and 87.”

Diane gripped Nick’s hand when they heard their flight number. Cheers went up around the room, and as soon as the man with the microphone stepped off the table, the noise level exploded again. Most people started moving towards the doors, the pace slowed by the line stopping to pick up bags of food and hugging the volunteers. When they got that far, Diane saw there were bottles of water, tissues, and a range of personal items people might still want for their long flights to wherever they had been going before ending up in Gander. Flashes of kind faces pressed food and water on her, and she felt tears rolling down her cheeks at the kindness these people continued to show.

Outside, the buses were waiting and Diane and Nick found a pair of seats.

“Different that coming in,” Diane said, looking out at the overcast day. The clouds had rolled in that morning, the first sign of the inclement weather people had warned her might come during their stay. “Not darkness and trees this time.”

“No,” Nick replied shortly.

Diane looked at him, and to her astonishment, she thought he looked like he might be about to cry? That couldn’t be right. She took his hand and smiled encouragingly, and he returned it, though sadness was still painted all over his features as he laced their fingers.

Diane took a deep breath, her encouraging look fading as she looked into his eyes. Oh boy, this was not going to be an easy day, she thought. As though there had been any other kind since they’d arrived.

“What day is it?” she asked suddenly.

Nick blinked, looking at her. “I have no idea,” he replied.

From behind them, someone said, “It’s Friday.”

“Thank you,” Diane replied. “Wow.”

“I know,” Nick murmured. “I can’t believe it.”

Intellectually, Diane knew the bus trip and formalities must have taken time, but it felt like she blinked and all of a sudden their flight was being called. With enough seats to spare the flight attendants allowed them to sit together; it was a potential problem she hadn’t even considered before they found a pair of seats near the back. Much as she wanted to say something, words stuck in her throat, and all Diane could do was reach for Nick’s hand. To her relief he took hers immediately, lacing their fingers and holding tight as the pre-take off procedures happened around them.

They sat in silence until the plane departed, and Diane couldn’t hold it in any longer. “How long are you in Dallas for?” she asked.

“Until Friday,” he said with a half-smile acknowledging the ridiculousness of it. “I don’t even know if the conference went ahead. Surely there were other people stranded who didn’t make it.” He shrugged. “And I don’t know…will there be enough planes to run flights normally? There will be a lot of stranded people, is the FAA even allowing other flights to leave US airspace yet?” He took a deep breath that shuddered hard, even over the rumble of the jet engines. Diane stared at him, realising how much he’d been worrying about how to get home.

“Hey,” she said, squeezing his hand, “you’ll get home. Might take a little more time, but you’ll get there.”

Nick turned, a frown on his face. “I’m not worried about getting home,” he said. They looked at each other for a long few seconds, their confusion flowing between them.

“You’re not?” Diane asked. “Then why are you…it seems like you’ve been thinking about how the flights will work.”

“I have,” Nick admitted, and by now Diane could read the blush flowing up his cheeks, and her heart began to beat faster. “The more complicated and difficult it is…” he drew a deep breath and blurted, “the longer I can stay in Dallas. With you.”

“With…with me?” Diane repeated, understanding flowing through her. “You want to stay in Dallas?”

“I want to stay with you,” Nick corrected her. He admitted sheepishly, “If it’s difficult to get a flight, it makes sense for me to wait a few days…or a week before I try to get a flight back to London.”

Diane’s heart was pulsing joy through her body at his admission, and she cupped his face and kissed him, knowing she was trembling, wondering if he could feel it over the turbulence. “You can stay with me,” she offered, feeling reckless for offering such a thing but knowing it would be silly for him to pay for a hotel room. She wanted to spend every second she could with him, and now was hardly the time to downplay things.

Nick blinked. “I can?” he said.

“Please do,” she whispered. “For as long as you can.”

Another blink, and he leaned in to kiss her, turbulence and tremors merging into one glorious if unsteady moment. “Yes,” he said. “For as long as I can.”

Two weeks after Nick has returned home…

“Nick?” Diane said, her heart flipping as it always did when he answered. This was a particular call, though, and it wasn’t until his sleepy voice spoke she realised how late it was in London.

“Hello,” he said.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, wincing. “It’s late.”

“Yes,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice, “nobody I’d rather be woken by.”

“I had to call you,” she blurted.

“Are you alright?” Nick asked, immediately sounding more awake.

“Yes,” Diane said, though she knew the tears in her eyes were mirrored in her voice. “No, I am, I just had to tell you…ask you, I mean…”

“Diane,” Nick interrupted, “for once, it is not me babbling.” His voice was kind, and she closed her eyes, remembering how gentle his touch was. “What has happened?”

Diane took a deep breath. “Remember how we talked about one of us moving, and neither of us could, because of your job and David being at collage and everything?”

“Yes,” Nick replied.

“Well,” Diane said, “And remember how David was stranded in London while we were in Gander?”

“Yes,” Nick replied patiently.

“He met someone,” Diane blurted. “She’s Danish and he’s going to transfer to Denmark. Soon. This semester.”

Nick was silent for a long agonising moment and Diane wondered if he understood what she was not saying, or if she needed to explain…or worse, if he understood but didn’t want her to…

“So you…are you saying…what are you saying, Diane?” Nick asked urgently.

“I can move to London,” she blurted. “I…want to. If you…I mean…” she blew out a breath, frustrated at herself, laughter bubbling up as she realised how Nick must feel when he stumbled over the right words.

“Nick,” she said clearly, “The reason I couldn’t leave Dallas…it doesn’t exist anymore. And I would move to London in a heartbeat if you wanted me to.” She paused, heart in her throat. “Please say you want me to.”

“I want you to,” Nick said immediately. “Are you…are you sure, Diane?” He sounded incredulous, hopeful, guardedly excited all at once.

“Yes,” she said immediately. “Yes, I am very sure.” She laughed, her own incredulity overflowing into giggles. “Oh my word, I’m moving to London!”

“And in with me, I hope,” Nick said boldly.

“Really?” Diane asked.

“Yes,” he said. “And I plan to ask you to marry me if things work out.”

“Oh, I think they might,” Diane said. She smiled, wishing desperately she could kiss him right now. But it was late, and… “Oh!” she said. “It’s late for you. I should let you go.”

“I doubt I’ll sleep very much,” Nick said.

“Me either,” Diane said. “I’m going to see what I can find out about emigrating to England.”

“I’ll ask Human Resources at work,” Nick said. “They deal with immigration a lot, they might have some insights into fast tracking.”

“Fast tracking like getting married?” Diane said, her serious question lightened by her teasing tone, she hoped.

“Perhaps,” Nick said, his own tone light too. “We’d have to honeymoon in Newfoundland, of course.”

“Of course,” Diane replied. She sighed. “I’ll let you go. Talk tomorrow?”

“I’ll call you this time,” Nick agreed. “When I get home from work today.”

“Okay,” Diane replied. Tomorrow morning her time. She could sleep through much of the wait, assuming she could sleep at all. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Nick replied.

Neither spoke, but the air was heavy with words they hadn’t spoken yet.

_I love you_.

It was the logical place to say it, but now that Diane knew they would talk the following day – and maybe meet in person soon, she held her tongue.

Two weeks later…

Diane’s heart was thumping out of her chest. She and David glanced at each other, and both laughed to see the anxiety on the other’s face. Impulsively she reached up to hug him.

“I am so happy for you,” she whispered, hearing the tears in her voice.

“Me too, Mom,” he replied, hugging her tight.

They waited impatiently to disembark, their flight seeming to already have taken forever. David’s girlfriend, Katrine, was waiting to meet him, and Nick would pick up Diane; she and David had agreed to go through customs separately and meet up later.

“You two’ll get all mushy,” he’d said.

“So will you,” Diane pointed out, laughing.

“Yeah,” David had answered, and the sheepishly happy smile made her heart sing. He really was deliriously happy, she thought; and at his age, moving across the world for someone was completely reasonable. She’d shared her doubts with him, a little; he hadn’t dismissed them, but instead asked,

“And what’s the worst outcome? Things don’t work out?” he shrugged. “So you move back to Dallas, or stay in London-”

“Or move in with you,” she’d asked through tears, laughing at the look of dramatic horror on his face.

“No,” he said, kind but firm. “But at least you’ll know. If you don’t try this, you’ll never know. And he makes you happy, Mom, even from the other side of the world. Just think how happy you’ll be when you’re on the same continent?”

“How did you get so wise?” she asked him.

“I’m not,” he said, “That’s what one of the old guys told me when I asked him if it was crazy to think about moving to Denmark to be with Kat.”

“Well, it makes you sound wise,” Diane had told him.

And now here they were, the last metres before passing out through customs again.

“I’ll see you later?” Diane asked.

“Dinner tomorrow,” David confirmed. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

She grinned, and hugged him again. “Love you,” she told him.

“Me too, Mom,” he said. She let him go ahead, restraining herself for a full two minutes before she approached the sliding door, taking a deep breath as they parted and she walked through, facing the crowd of people waiting to greet their loved ones. None were Nick, so she walked forward, searching for his face, trying to navigate with her suitcase and carry-on and the tears beginning to cloud her vision. He would be here, somewhere, but so many people were in the way.

“Diane!”

She stopped. Surely someone was calling her name? Turning, she listened, hearing it again, and she tried to pinpoint it but it was impossible in the crowd of people. Instead she stood still, waiting to be found, heart almost thumping out of her chest. Only one person here would be calling her name, and it would be…

Nick.

He appeared in front of her suddenly, eyes wide as he finally found her. They both paused for a moment, until everything happened at once.

Diane dropped her bag and reached for him, tears spilling over, not caring if someone ran off with her suitcase as long as she had her arms wrapped around Nick.

His arms were holding her, too, his face pressed into her neck, and his breathing was uneven.

They stood like that, swaying in the constant crowd of people until Diane finally eased back a little, Nick’s arms loosening immediately. She only wanted enough space to kiss him, not even speaking before kissing him right there in the entranceway.

He kissed her back, and it was another endless moment, relief and fireworks once again before they parted.

“Hello,” he said, smiling breathlessly.

“Hi,” she replied with the same smile.

“You’re here,” he said.

“I am,” she said. “Two weeks.”

“Two weeks,” he repeated. “I hope they’re as long as the last two weeks. They lasted forever.”

“They did,” Diane replied, caressing his cheek. When he made no move to leave she asked, “Shall we go?”

“Yes!” he said, releasing her but holding onto her hand. He picked up her suitcase handle while she grabbed the carry-on, thankfully not stolen while they ignored them in favour of greeting each other. There had been no discussion of hotels; Diane would stay with Nick, and they walked to his car without another word.

Some months later…

Diane was shaking so hard the flight attendant checked on her.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“First trip to London?” she asked sympathetically.

“No,” Diane said, “I’m moving there. Permanently.”

“Oh!” the flight attendant said. “Wow, that’s a big move.”

“Yes,” Diane agreed. “But it’s taken a long, long time to make it work.”

The flight attendant smiled and moved away, and Diane closed her eyes. She fiddled with the charms on her bracelet – a present she’d bought herself the last time she and Nick had seen each other. They’d met in Toronto, agreeing not to return to Newfoundland until September or their honeymoon, whichever came first. Neither had asked the other, yet they spoke of getting married as though it was a foregone conclusion. It was comforting to know Nick thought of their future as being so closely entwined, something she too imagined.

Despite her anxiety, she dozed most of the way to London; too many missed hours of sleep in the week preceding this had caught up with her. By the time they landed in London she felt worse, really, stiff, her head fuzzy even as her mind was racing. She had left the United States. She was now in London. The city she lived in. With her…partner? Boyfriend? They’d hardly discussed terms…but it didn’t matter.

This time she was disembarking on her own, and there were no nerves, only excitement driving her to walk as briskly as two heavily laden suitcases would allow. As soon as she saw the last set of doors, emotions bubbled up and she knew she was crying, tears running into her smile as the doors opened in front of her.

This time, there was no searching for Nick.

He was standing front and centre, eyes pinned to her, his face broken in a huge grin as he waited. She headed right for him, relief flooding through her as his arms came around her.

“You’re here,” he said into her hair.

“Haven’t you said that before?” Diane asked, smiling. He’d said the same thing every time they had met in the months between Gander and now.

“Yes,” Nick said, “but I’ll never need to say it again.”

As the implication of it washed over her, Diane pressed her face into Nick’s shirt and cried again. “Oh my God,” she said. “I’ve moved to London.”

“You have,” Nick said. He paused. “No regrets?”

“None,” Diane replied immediately. “None. I love you.”

“Good,” Nick replied. He smiled as he always did when she told him as though those words themselves were a miracle. “I love you too. Shall we go home, then?”

“Home,” Diane repeated. “Yes, please.”


End file.
